Picture-strip toy



sept. 15, 1925.

J. MARETTE PICTURE STBP@ TGY Filed Sept. v28 1921,

INVENTOR :cques Maren@ m5 H'TTO RN EY.

Patented Seplt. l5, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlCE.

JACQUES MARETTE, OF VINCENNES, FRANCE, .ASSIGNOR TO PATHE CINEMA, IANCIENS ETABLISSEMENTS PATHE FRERES, F PARIS, FRANCE.

PICTURE-STRIP TOY.

Application led September 28, 1921. Serial No. 503,931.

To ZZ whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, JACQUES MARETTE, citizen of the French Republic, residing at Vincennes, Seine, in the Republic of France,

have invented new and useful Improvements in Picture-Strip Toys, of which the following is a specification. v

This invention relatesv to a toy device for the direct viewing or the screen projection of photographic views carried by flexible band similar to a cinematographic One characteristic feature of this toy de.- vice resides in that it comprises a receptacle having three chambers, the central chamber containing an actuating roller or toothed wheel provided with an operating knob, a lens and a lighting aperture which is preferably closed by a ground glass, the picture strip being drawn along by the said roller or wheel and woun-d up in one of the end chambers while it is unwound in the other end chamber.

' This arrangement permits to obtain an apparatus of a very cheap construct-ion which is very convenient in use and in which the picture strip is not liable to be damaged or Other characteristic features will be set forth in the following description.

ln the accompanying drawing which shows by way of example an embodiment o f this invention.

Fig. l is an outer perspective view of the 5 device..

Fig. 2 is a cross-section, and

Fig. 3 a longitudinal section of the same.

Fig. 4 shows one end of the picture strip.

According to the form of construction herein represented, the device comprises an approximately rectangular box l divided lby partitions l, 1b into three chambers. The

i two end chambers 2 and 4 are used to store up the film or picture strip 5 which is unwound from. one of said chambers and wcund up again in the other after passing through the middle chamber 3. The latter forms a dark chamber of oblong shape havlighting the film by transparence, and on the other the viewing lens 7. l

The picture strip is made of a resilient material preferably transparent or translucid. It is provided with a series of piloteling .on one side thereof the aperture 6 for graphic images arranged one below the other like the images of a moving picture film. Said images may have a correlation with each other or not and form for instance a v collection of views ofthe monuments of a town, etc. Said picture strip may be obtained from a blank cinematographic strip provided with the usual perforatio-ns which will permit the same to be fed through the usual machines for printing, fixing, washing,

drying cinematographic films and like operations.

The thickness of a box or 'this kind win correspond to the width of the film which is used, or about 30 millimeters, in the example indicated in which one edge of th-e film is cut off by the width of a row of perforations in order to reduce the size of the device as far as possible. The other edge is used for drawing along the film. The band 5, which is supposed tov have one meter length in the example herein shown, may be readily placed when formed in a roll, in one of the chambers 2 or 4.

ln the middle chamber 3', is disposed a suitable actuating roller 8 whereby only a slight edort is required to cause the film to be unwound from one chamber and woundv up automatically upon itself in the other chamber, and vice versa, thus causing the successive images of the film to come before the lens 7. The roller 8 may be made of rubber or provided with a rubber rim and it will exert a slight pressure on the picture strip. llt is actuated by means of an outer knob 9. lnasmuch as the film travels in either direction according as the knob 9 is turned in one or the other sense, it is preferable to dispose the wheel 8 in the axis of the aperture 6, that is, at the middle of the loose portion of the film, as this will afford the most satisfactory working, and a symmetrical device may be thus constructed. The actuating roller is caused to bear only upon the perforated edge of the band, that is, outside the images, and in this manner no scratching of the latter will ensue.

With a rubber roller such as 8, the perforations are not required for effecting the the use of teeth engaging the said perforatione, fr instance by employing a toothed disk. Should a piece of ground lass 10 be provided in the aperture 6, this wi l have the twofold advantage of preventing dust from entering the box since the latter will now 'be entirely closed, and also of constituting an excellent bearing surface for the film, inasmuch as the smooth side of the glass will facilitate the sliding of the film.

The two ends of the film 5 may be rolled upon themselves or provided with a small cylinder of cardboard or like material, in such manner as to prevent the film from leaving the chambers 2 and 4 at the end of the operation.

For the same purpose, the strip may be provided at each end with a small rounded metal clip 11 (Fig. 4) of reduced width whereby friction will be reduced.

Experience has shown that the shape given to the end chambers 2 and 4 is not indifferent for obtainin a perfectly smooth and satisfactory winding up of the picture-strip, which is essential for a good working and durable use of the apparatus. It has been ascertained that it is desirable to give to said end chambers a form similar to that shown in the drawings, especially in Fig. 3.

As a matter of fact, it is necessary that the inner wall of each end chamber 2 and 4 should have at a a curve which will progressively merge into the straight portion of the middle chamber containing the aperture 6, said curve being such that when the strip begins to protrude into the end chamber, the end of said strip in creeping along said wall a under the action of the roller 8 forms immediately a first coil. The succeeding coils will then be formed in the required sense as shown in Fig. 3 and in no case in the opposite direction which would give rise to jars in the operation of the actuating knob and cause the strip to be jammed or wound irregularly upon itself whereby risks of breakage would appear. Moreover, the inner angles should be rounded as shown at b and c in order to permit a smooth and regular guiding of the and. The walls of the casing of the apparatus having a reduced thickness so as to obtain a construction as cheap as possible, the outer shape of the casing will preferably correspond approximately to the shape of its inner wall.

To enable the apparatus to be easily inspected and the picture strip readily replaced by another, the casing is preferably closed at one side by a lid provided with one or more hinges 15, as shown in Fig. 1 and a lug which forms a slight projection as shown at 16 and enables the lid to be easily opened.

e invention is not restricted to the constructional features either shown or described, which have been selected by way of example only. The picture-strip instead of vbein transparent or translucid might be made o an opaque material, the images bengthen observed Ib reflexion.

aving now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: I

1. A picture strip toy comprisin a casing, two rigid cross partitions fixecl on the casing and dividin said casing into a middle and two en chambers, a flexible picture strip within said casin an aperture on one wall of the mid e chamber for lighting the picture by transparence, a viewing lens closing another a erture on the opposite wall of the midde chamber and intended for direct viewing of the strip pictures, feeding means for drawing the picture strip between the two apertures of the middle chamber in either direction at will from one end chamber to the other end chamber, said end chambers having curved walls merging progressively into the straight portions of the apertured walls for obliging the strip to w-ind up over itself when entering said end chambers and said cross partitions leaving small gaps adjacent to said vwall having an aperture for li hting the picture for obliging the strip w ich enters said chambers through said gaps to slide upon the curved walls of the latter.

2. A picture strip toy comprising a casing, two rigid cross partitions fixed on the oasing and dividing said casing into a middle and two end chambers, a flexible picture strip within said casing, an aperture on one wallof the middle chamber for lighting the picture by transparence, a viewing lens closing another aperture on the opposite wall of the middle chamber and intended for direct viewing of the strip pictures, a roller located in the middle chamber and acting upon one edge of said strip for drawing the latter between said two apertures in either direction at will from one end chamber to the other end chamber, a shaft carrying said roller, said shaft being pivoted upon one side wall of the casin and provided with an outer actuating nob, saidl end chambers having curved walls merging progressively into the straight portions of the apertured walls for obliging the strip to wind up over itself when `entering said end chambers and said cro partitions leaving small gaps adjacent to said wall having an aperture for lighting the picture for obliging the strip which enters said chambers through said gaps to slide upon the curved wallsl of the latter.

3. A picture strip toy comprising a casing, two rigid cross partitions fixed on the casing and dividing said casing into a middle and two end chambers, a flexible picture strip within said casing, an a rture on one wall of the middle chamber or lighting the picture by transparence, a viewing lens closing another aperture on the opposite Wall of the middle chamber and intended for direct viewing of the strip pictures, feeding means for drawing the picture strip between the two v4apertures of the middle chamber in either direction at will from one end chamher to the other end chamber, said end chamhers having curved walls merging'progres sively into the straight portions of the apertured walls for fiihliging the strip to Wind up over itself when entering said end chan'ihers, said cross partitions leaving small gaps adjacent to said Wall having an aperture for lighting the picture for obliging the strip which enters 'said chambers through said gaps to slide upon the curved walls of the latter, and abutment means provided at the endsI of said picture strip and having a thickness greater than the Width of the gaps.

Il. A picture 'strip toy comprising a casing, two rigid cross partitions fixed on the casing and dividing said casing into a middle and two end chambers, a flexible picture strip within said casing, an aperture on one Wall of the middle chamber for lighting the picture by transparence, a viewing lens closing another aperture on the opposite wall of the middle chamber and intended for direct viewing of the strip picturest feeding means for drawing the picture strip between the two apertures of the middle ehsunher in either direction at will from one end chainber to the other end chamber, said end chainbers having curved walls merging progressively into the 'straight portions of the apertuied walls for obliging the strip lo wind up over itself when entering said end chainbers, said cross partitions leaving small gaps adjacent to said wall having an aperture for lighting the picture for ohliging the strip which enters said chamhi-rrs through said gaps to 'slide upon the curved Walls of thc latter, and rounded metal clips secured respectively on both ends of the picture strip, said metal clips having a thickness greater than the width of -the gaps.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

JACQUES MARETTE. 

